Vietnam Specialty Coffee Guide I: Saigon and Hoi An

I had planned to put together a single coffee guide highlighting all of my favourite coffee and cafe discoveries from my recent trip to Vietnam. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover a lot of great places on my two-week trip, so I've decided to split the guide into two parts. This first part covers Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Hoi An; part two, which I will post next week, will focus on Hanoi. I also spent two days in Hué but didn't find any particularly good coffee shops.



Saigon

With the tours I took to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta, I only had a day and a half to spend in central Saigon. I would have liked an extra day to visit some of the other coffee shops on my list and, hopefully, to make some new discoveries. Still, I thought that finding two excellent specialty coffee spots and a further restaurant that serves good coffee was pretty good going. I drank a lot of Vietnamese-style coffee too — mainly cà phê đen đá (iced black coffee) — but mainly from hole-in-the-wall joints while I was on the go.

The Workshop
The Workshop occupies a gorgeous, light-filled space on the top floor of a building just over a block from Nguyen Hué, a pedestrianised street at the heart of district one. It's a bit of a climb to the third floor but once there, you will be rewarded with a calm (and thankfully air-conditioned), industrial-chic haven dedicated to the worship of great coffee. At its centre is a large, 360-degree brew bar that hosts all of the coffee-making kit you can imagine; there are communal benches and smaller tables.

During my visit, there was a single-origin espresso on offer, along with three single-origin filter coffees (one from Vietnam, one from Ethiopia and one from Indonesia), all of which are roasted on site. Naturally, I went for the Vietnamese coffee, which was from My Son's farm in Da Lat. With so many brew methods available, it was hard to choose, but a) the barista suggested that the coffee I had chosen would work well in an Aeropress and b) I thought it might be the last Aeropress-brewed coffee of my trip, so I opted for that.

The coffee was very well prepared and I enjoyed sitting at the bar watching and chatting to the friendly barista. I also tried a cold brew shot — an appealing prospect given the 36-degree heat outside — which had a rich and smooth taste. With a croissant and the two coffees, my bill came to about 250,000 VND (about £7.80). There is also a great-looking egg-centric brunch menu that I would have tried if I had had a bigger appetite.

The Workshop is located at 27 Ngô Đức Kế (third floor), District 1. Facebook.

Klasik Coffee Roasters
Although Klasik Coffee Roasters is only a block or two away from The Workshop, I decided to save it until later in my one full day in central Saigon. Klasik is a slim and stylish cafe close to both Nguyen Hué and the Saigon waterfront. The long, wooden coffee bar has an attractive geometric pattern and hosts the vibrant red La Marzocco. As well as espresso-based drinks and Vietnamese-style coffee, Klasik serves a wide range of hand-brewed filter coffee options. More impressive still, they had 12 coffee varieties on offer; there weren't any Vietnamese beans, but Laos and Yemen both featured.

I wish I had tried the Laos coffee, but the Kenyan Nyeri Gaturiri Peaberry I tried was excellent brewed through the Chemex (75,000 VND (£2.40)). I went back on my last morning to check out the nitro cold brew (50,000 VND (a bargain at £1.60)). I also chatted to the owner about the Saigon specialty coffee scene, which is, by all accounts, close-knit, collegial and burgeoning. Long may that trend continue!

Klasik Coffee Roasters is located at 40 Mạc Thị Bưởi, District 1. Website. Facebook. Instagram.

L'Usine
More of a restaurant and concept store than coffee shop, L'Usine is still worth a stop if you are looking for a decent western-style coffee in the heart of District 1. I went for an early brunch — the Aussie-influenced brunch menu looks great, although I was so hot I only wanted a refreshing Vietnamese salad. I also had a flat white (75,000 VND (£2.40)), which was pretty good, if slightly too hot, and had particularly good latte art. If you aren't in the mood for coffee (and if not, why not?!), they have a big selection of juices, beers and wines.

L'Usine is located at 151 / 1 Dong Khoi (first floor), District 1. A second location has opened at 70 Lê Lợi, District 1, HCMC. Website. Instagram.

I've included in my map three further cafes that came up in my research but that I didn't have time to visit: Bosgaurus Coffee (92 Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh, District 2); Mockingbird Cafe (14 Tôn Thất Đạm (fourth floor), District 1); and, in the same building as Mockingbird, Things Cafe (14 Tôn Thất Đạm (first floor, District 1).


Hoi An

The Espresso Station
The Espresso Station was my first port of call on arriving in Hoi An. Unfortunately, it was closed for several days, but I did manage to visit on the last morning of my stay. The cafe is a couple of blocks north of the heart of Hoi An's Old Town and is hidden away down a small alley (look for the 'but first, coffee' sign) but is well worth seeking out. There is a lovely courtyard garden at the front and a few small tables in the cosy cafe.

I took a seat at the petite coffee bar, where I chatted to the owner/barista Trung, whose intense passion for great coffee comes through in every cup. I ordered an iced V60 pourover, which Trung prepared using a single-origin Papandayan coffee from Indonesia (70,000 VND (£2.20)). The coffee was one of the best of my trip: I could really taste some of the more subtle and delicate flavour notes. I didn't have time to have a macchiato too, sadly, but Trung's latte art is also rather good. The Espresso Station is a great place for specialty coffee made by coffee-lovers for coffee-lovers.

The Espresso Station is located at 28/2 Trần Hưng Đạo. Facebook. Instagram.

Mia Coffee
I was happy to discover that Mia Coffee was located less than a block from my Hoi An hotel, an easy 10-minute stroll from the Old Town. I stopped by several times during my visit and it was always busy. The cafe has a relaxed atmosphere and is popular with both tourists and locals. They roast their own coffee in the little roaster in the corner of the cafe and serve Vietnamese-style coffee and espresso-based drinks, as well as juices, smoothies, breakfast and lunch.

On my first visit, I had a piccolo (35,000 VND (£1.10)) and a black Vietnamese-style drip coffee (30,000 VND (£1)). I had a few mediocre Vietnamese coffees during my trip — I suspect that the widespread use of Robusta coffee may have had a role in this — but Mia Coffee made me a really smooth and flavoursome drip coffee. The piccolo was very good too, as was the iced latte (40,000 VND (£1.25) I had to try to cool myself down before cycling out to the beach. The staff are really friendly and Mia Coffee is a great little neighbourhood coffee spot.

Mia Coffee is located at 20 Phan Bội Châu. Facebook.

Rosie's Cafe
I discovered Rosie's Cafe, which was opened by two young women — My and Thuy — about a month ago, when they posted a comment on my Instragram. I probably wouldn't have found their cafe otherwise — it's located slightly west of the Old Town, just west of the Japanese Covered Bridge, and is tucked away down a quiet alley. I'm glad I did, though, because My and Thuy have created a really lovely cafe. The two friends love coffee and have always wanted to start their own business together. The result is Rosie's Cafe, which is named for the heroine of one of their favourite films (Love, Rosie), who inspired them both to follow their dreams. They have set up Rosie's Cafe essentially by themselves and are already doing a great job.

Rosie's Cafe serves Vietnamese-style coffee (20–25,000 VND) and cold brew (50,000 VND (£1.60)), which they brew for eight hours in a siphon using coffee from Cau Dat in the Vietnamese highlands. The cold brew, which was really delicious, comes served in an Instagram-ready bottle designed by a friend of the girls from Indonesia. There are also cold-pressed juices and snacks and sweet treats on the menu. The cafe itself is tastefully decorated — you feel as though you are in the living room of someone cool — and there's a small courtyard at the back.

Rosie's is still very new so if you are in Hoi An and looking for cold brew, do consider stopping by. The coffee is good and I also found My and Thuy's story very inspiring.

Rosie's Cafe is located at 8/6 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai (it's a little tricky to find, but cross to the west of the Japanese Covered Bridge and then walk along Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai until you see a sign for the Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel and then turn right; the cafe is down the alley on the right-hand side). Facebook. Instagram.

Hoi An Roastery
There are several Hoi An Roastery cafes in the Old Town and I visited the Tran Phu location a couple of times. They serve pourovers, French press, siphon and espresso-based drinks as well as Vietnamese-style coffee, using coffee they roast at their roastery. The pourovers I tried (45,000 VND (£1.40)), made using coffee from Da Lat, were both pretty good, although the serving size was very small — closer to the standard Vietnamese-style coffee serving than a standard pourover; I wonder if grind size was an issue. Regardless, for a quick and decent coffee stop in the Old Town, you will rarely be more than a few minutes' walk from a Hoi An Roastery. They sell beans too.

Hoi An Roastery is located at 135 Trần Phú; there are also a few other locations, including 57 Lê Lợi. Website. Facebook.

While I was in Hoi An, there were two national holidays and several of the cafes I wanted to check out were closed for the weekend. I had been looking forward to visiting Reaching Out Teahouse (103 Nguyen Thai Hoc) in particular but wasn't able to; Not Just Another Milla has a beautiful review of this cafe.

Update: My fellow coffee blogger Brian, of Brian's Coffee Spot, visited Vietnam in 2017. You can follow some of his coffee discoveries on his blog.

Two Weeks in Vietnam: My Itinerary and Hotels

Vietnam has been on my travel to-do list for a number of years. I hadn't been to Southeast Asia and decided that Vietnam with its rich culture and history, bustling cities and beautiful scenery, and, of course, delicious food was the best place to start. I had 15 full days in the country; this meant I could take advantage of the current visa waiver for UK visitors to Vietnam for stays of up to 15 days.

Hoi An II: Food, Drink and Coffee

In a country filled with fine food destinations, Hoi An is rightly viewed as one of the finest. One of the reasons I wanted to stay there a little longer than most of the other cities on my Vietnam itinerary was so that I could sample as many of the restaurants and local dishes as I could. It didn't hurt that Hoi An has a burgeoning speciality coffee scene, which I did my best to explore.

But First, Coffee
Before my trip, I had identified three cafes that looked like good bets for speciality coffee: The Espresso Station, Mia Coffee (Fancy a Cuppa seconded this) and Hoi An Roastery. I also visited a lovely three-week-old cafe called Rosie's Cafe after finding it on Instagram. Finally, blogger Not Just Another Milla recommended the Reaching Out Teahouse, which sounded like a beautiful experience, but alas: the national holidays in Vietnam meant that it was closed all weekend.

I will blog in more detail about my coffee experiences at each of these cafes in the Vietnam speciality coffee guide I will put together at the end of my trip, but for now, here are the details:

The Espresso Station. 28/2 Trần hưng đạo. The Espresso Station was first on my list of Hoi An cafes to check out but when I got there on Thursday afternoon, I saw that they were closed until Monday — my last day. Luckily, I was able to make it over there before I had to leave to catch my plane. It was a sweltering day but Trung made me a wonderful iced pourover (70,000 VND) with an Indonesian Papadayan coffee. I sat next to the bar while I drank it and watched Trung whip up some very fine lattes. It's a great cafe with really high-quality coffee. There's also a little courtyard seating area if you can bear the heat.

Mia Coffee. 20 Phan Bội. I was pleased to discover that Mia Coffee was located just half a block away from my hotel, a 5–10 minute walk from the Old Town. I stopped by a few times and it was always bustling with locals and tourists. I had a very good Vietnamese-style filter coffee, a fine piccolo and, on the hottest day, some kind of blended coffee–milk–ice concoction that really hit the spot. They roast their own coffee on-site and the cafe has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

Rosie's Cafe. 8/6 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai. Friends My and Thuy opened up this stylish cafe just three weeks ago and although it's only a couple of minutes' walk west from the Japanese covered bridge (turn right when you see the sign for the Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel), it's a welcoming oasis away from the hubbub of the Old Town. The cold brew (50,000 VND) is excellent and they also serve Vietnamese coffee, cold-pressed juices and sweet treats. I'll share some more of the story of Rosie's Cafe in my Vietnam coffee round-up.

Hoi An Roastery. 135 Tran Phu. Although the Hoi An Roastery website lists just one cafe, I spotted at least two others while I was there. I visited the Tran Phu location and tried the pourover (40,000 VND), which was pretty good. The coffee, which they roast themselves, is from Da Lat and you can buy bags of beans too. They also serve French press, siphon and espresso-based drinks. I had another Hoi An Roastery pourover at Cocobox.

Reaching Out Teahouse. 103 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street . Check out Not Just Another Milla's beautiful review.

Bánh Mì
I had a fair few bánh mì — crusty baguette rolls filled with some combination of meat, egg, salad, fresh herbs and spices — while I was in Hoi An. Here are my two favourites:

Madam Khanh (the 'Bánh Mì Queen'). 115 Tran Cao Van. There is no menu at Madam Khanh's, a petite bánh mì restaurant just north of Hoi An's Old Town. I was asked if I wanted "everything" and I said yes. "Chilli?" Yes, please. The sandwich that arrived was one of the best I've ever had: the meat was juicy and flavoursome, the herbs added just the right amount of crispness and the bread itself was perfectly chewy. In other words, 30,000 VND very well spent.

Bánh Mì Phuong. 2B Phan Chau Trinh. Only a few blocks from Madam Khanh is my second favourite bánh mì spot in Hoi An: Bánh Mì Phuong. My from Rosie's Cafe recommended it to me and on both of my visits (one around 10 am and one around 3 pm), I had to queue for about 20 minutes but it was well worth the wait. You can choose from a selection of fillings (I tried both the beef and the barbecue; the latter was my favourite) and none of them cost more than 35,000 VND. After I ordered, I noticed a sign proudly announcing that the restaurant had been featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations.

Cao Lau
One of Hoi An's most famous dishes is cao lau: thick noodles served with pork, fresh greens and wonton crackers and liberally doused with fish sauce. I had the dish a few times and these are my two favourites:

Ms Ly Cafe. 22 Nguyen Hue. There are a lot of tempting dishes on the menu at Ms Ly Cafe, a friendly restaurant housed in a historic building that has been in Ms Ly's family for several generations. I had heard that the cao lau was really good here, though, and it didn't disappoint (about 50,000 VND). I wasn't particularly hungry, owing to the heat, so you might also need another dish if you have more of an appetite than I did. This would also be a nice spot for a romantic meal: the dark-wood interiors and original artwork on the walls give it a sleek appearance.

Bo Bo Cafe. 18 Le Loi. I went here for my first lunch in Hoi An and was immediately worried I had made a huge mistake when a local tour tout came and started chatting to me. Had I fallen into a major tourist trap? The cao lau (about 45,000) was, however, good. Bo Bo is a nice spot for a simple, no-frills lunch; just be prepared to fend off the tout!

Ready To Roll
Bale Well. 45/11 Tran Hung Dao. In Hoi An, I learned, they love to roll things in rice paper. Even things that are already rolled, like spring rolls. At Bale Well, there is a drinks menu but no food menu. All you have to do is say how many people you are eating for and the cheerful, efficient staff will bring you a huge assortment of foods to wrap up: fried spring rolls, barbecued meat, veggies and salad, and, most challengingly, bánh xèo. The latter are crispy rice pancakes that look a bit like a cross between an omelette and a taco. Unsurprisingly, they taste great with meat, wrapped in rice paper and dipped in peanut sauce. The set menu at Bale Well costs 120,000 VND, which is great value. The place was buzzing with Hoi An locals when I visited and there is a really fun vibe.

Ms Vy's Empire
When I started considering my Lonely Planet suggestions and recommendations from other travellers for Hoi An restaurants, I noticed that many of them had one thing in common: Trinh Diem Vy. Ms Vy owns four restaurants in the town and runs popular cooking classes. The Mermaid, near the market, was closed while I was there but I visited Morning Glory and Cargo Club.

Morning Glory. 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc. If you're hoping for a table at Morning Glory on a weekend night and haven't booked, you may be out of luck; the queue is often out of the door. I went there for an early dinner on a Thursday evening and managed to nab a spot upstairs. This restaurant specialises in central Vietnamese specialities with a big emphasis on street food. The staff are very friendly and helpful and will show you to how to prepare/eat your food rather than watching you struggle on. This was useful for me as I'd ordered some fried spring rolls, which came with noodles, greens and rice paper. As you have probably guessed, wrapping was required. I also had a delicious salad with rare beef, green papaya, chilli, peanuts and lime — perfect for the summer heat. The whole meal cost about 200,000 VND including a couple of drinks.

Cargo Club. 107-109 Nguyen Thai Hoc. Just opposite its sister restaurant, Cargo Club boasts an upstairs terrace that overlooks the river. Naturally, the waiting list for the outside tables is rather longer than that for the less desirable indoor spots. I wasn't in a rush so I put my name down for a terrace table and came back 45 minutes later. It was very pleasant to be looking down on the twinkling lights of Hoi An, although the ambiance and food at Morning Glory are more my scene (Cargo Club has a lot of European dishes and there was definitely more of a romantic vibe). I had another local speciality: banh vac (white rose), which are pretty little dumpling-like parcels of shrimp or pork. I really enjoyed this dish and wish I had had it again. I also had another delicious salad, this time with shrimp. Two courses and a cocktail cost about 220,000 VND, although I was ordering at the cheaper end of the menu.

If you only have time for one Ms Vy restaurant, I would recommend Morning Glory; after all, Hoi An has plenty of other great restaurants on offer. I also heard good things about Pho Xua, Secret Garden and Chips and Fish (yes, as a Brit, I would normally avoid a restaurant with a name like the latter, but a couple of locals said that the fish was really very good).

Hoi An I: Things To Do, Places To Shop

After rushing to pack everything into my short stays in Hué and Saigon, I changed gear once I got to Hoi An, a beautiful town on the Central Vietnam coast. Hoi An doesn't have an airport or train station so most visitors fly or take the train to Da Nang, which is 20 miles north. I took the train from Hué and it was a beautiful ride through the misty mountains. 

I booked my train ticket in advance (it was about £4) and the train was pretty full, but it was a holiday weekend. Facing the front of the train, I sat on the left-hand side, which had great views of the mountains and the sea. From Da Nang, it is about a 40-minute ride to Hoi An.

I spent my first afternoon wandering around the picturesque, Old Town, which is characterised by its UNESCO-listed, mustard-yellow buildings and vibrant purple bougainvillea. The Old Town is closed to motor traffic but not to the constant stream of bikes and cyclos. Nonetheless, Hoi An was a lot more amenable to strolling than Hué or Saigon, especially if you go early in the morning before it gets too busy. My hotel was at the eastern edge of the town centre but was still just a 10-minute walk to the heart of the Old Town.

Hoi An Old Town
Many of the buildings in the Old Town are exquisitely preserved. To aid conservation efforts, visitors are encouraged to buy tickets to visit some of the more interesting buildings. 120,000 VND (just under £4) buys you five tickets and you can choose which ones you would like to enter during a three-day period. I visited a handful of temples, assembly halls and immaculately restored family homes. Most of them take only about 15-20 minutes to walk through.

I also enjoyed simply standing by the river and people-watching. Everyone has something to offer: a sampan ride, a ride on one of Hoi An's fleet of colourful motor boats, a floating lantern, some street food... This past weekend was a national holiday and the Vietnamese people were having a great time celebrating with their friends and family.

Japanese Covered Bridge
When I first happened upon the Japanese Covered Bridge, it was almost like being back in Cambridge again. Only, this time, I'm the tourist who won't stop taking photos! You can walk across the bridge for free although you'll have to give up one of your Old Town tickets to visit the attached temple. Like most places in Hoi An, it's even prettier when it's all lit up at night time.

Markets
Hoi An's main market is huge, covering several blocks and with vendors sprawling across the pavements and nearby roads. I walked past the fruit and veggie section each day to get into the Old Town and it was always a hive of furious activity. There are also a lot of stalls selling everything from clothing to household goods.

Across the Thu Bon river on the Cau An Hoi Bridge is the An Hoi night market. By night, the street is lit up with hundreds of colourful lanterns, which you can buy along with all manner of other goods, souvenirs and food. The atmosphere is fun and lively and people of all ages were having a good time.

Shopping
Hoi An is famous for its tailors and although I didn't plan to get any clothes made while I was here, I ended up getting a silk dress that will be perfect for weddings and parties. There are hundreds of different shops in town and the choice was a little overwhelming at first. I started going into a few shops and realised that the prices were fairly consistent (among the shops that seemed to be of a similar quality) but finding a fabric I liked proved more difficult. I like bright pinks, turquoises, purples and emerald greens and I gravitate towards geometric patterns. There was very little fitting either of those requirements — most of the patterns were floral and the colours more muted than I prefer.

In the end, I found a multicoloured patterned silk I liked at Yaly Couture (47 Tran Phu) and took the plunge. I got to pick the style of the dress, customising anything I wanted, and was then measured up. They also took my mugshot in front of a height chart, but luckily no one arrested me. After the first fitting, later that day, the dress was almost right, but slightly tight around my shoulders. I also asked for the neckline to be made more rounded and for the hem to be taken up. After fitting number two, the fit was great but it was still a couple of centimetres too long. Finally, after the third fitting, it was perfect. The quality is really good (it has a lining too) and the final price was about £40. Perhaps I could have haggled more, but I was happy.

I also stopped by Cocoon (now located at 55 Tran Phu) to look at the selection of scarves. There were so many different colours and patterns, and the lovely owner, Ms Ly, showed me some of her silk worms and showed me how to test for real silk (by burning it). I had read that the prices were fixed but the quality very high, which suited me fine. There was also no pressure to buy, which made a refreshing change. I picked up a couple of different silk scarves, which were about £6 each.

Other shops I liked included: Hay Hay (155 Tran Phu) for art and design; Metiseko (142 Tran Phu) for sustainable clothing and homewares; and Reaching Out (103 Nguyen Thai Hoc) for arts and crafts.

Classes and Workshops
Hoi An is a real food hub and I thought about taking a cooking class while I was in town. I really enjoyed the one I did in Oaxaca last year and had heard good things about Ms Vy's classes in particular. In the end, though, the Hoi An Photo Tour office caught my eye and I decided to do that instead. If I'm really honest with myself, I'm much more likely to put photography training to use than cooking lessons.

Six of us met with the instructor, Etienne, who had just won an Asian photography award and was very pleased. We did one of the 'sunset' tours although there no interesting sunset and throughout, the sky remained a dull, featureless white haze. However, Etienne helped us all to make the best of the bad light and after a quick summary of some of the basics, we headed off on one of those colourful boats down the river to a nearby village. 

We spent three hours talking to the villagers and watching them work in the rice fields, make hay and prepare peanuts, among other things. I was a little nervous about taking portraits of people I didn't know but Etienne knows these villagers very well and they were all happy to be photographed and to chat with us.

We headed back to Hoi An for a quick workshop on night-time photography. I would have liked a little longer on this, as it's a skill I would like to improve. For a four-hour workshop, the price was 790,000 VND (about £25), which I thought was very reasonable. Etienne is a talented photographer and a good teacher and I feel as though I learnt a lot.

Beach
An Bang beach, regarded as one of the best beaches in the Hoi An area, is about three miles from the Old Town area. I thought about walking there but in the end decided to be brave and borrowed one of my hotel's bikes. A few minutes into the ride, I relaxed a little (although never taking my eyes off all of the roads!) and enjoyed the journey to the beach. Once you get past the Old Town, you can follow the same road all the way, so it's pretty easy. There are bike parks next to the beach (I paid 20,000 VND (about 60p), but you could probably get it for half that if you haggle).

On Saturday, I turned right along the beach and walked to the end of the first section of sun loungers, paid my 30,000 VND (again, you could probably negotiate if the 30p is important to you) and enjoyed some relaxation time in the sun, dipping into the sea to cool off. It was around noon when I arrived and already quite busy, but it was heaving by the time I left at about 4 pm.

When I returned on Sunday, I kept walking past the first stretch of loungers and carried on for another 300 metres or so until I reached a quieter stretch. There were maybe 10 loungers in the cluster but there were never more than four other people there (everyone was down at the other end), so it was much more peaceful. I also had a nice bowl of chicken and rice for lunch and, with a couple of drinks and my lounger/parasol rental, the total was 100,000 VND (about £3).

To vary my ride home, I cycled southeast towards Hoi An beach before turning right and following the river back into town. Both routes take you over the river and next to the rice fields, which were a gorgeous shade of rich yellow.

Other Ideas
Spa time. There are numerous spas in town, all of which claim to offer the best massages, facials, manicures and pedicures at very reasonable prices. I had planned to get a manicure but my nails are in a bit of a state at the moment so I'm holding out for Hanoi.

Sampan or boat ride along the river. You don't need to find a boat operator; they will find you.

My Son. I thought about taking a half-day tour to the ancient Cham temple complex, but I wanted a break from guided tours. You can also hire a driver or go by taxi, but if you're travelling alone, the price may be too high. Another excursion possibility is the stunning Marble Mountain. I passed it on my way to Da Nang airport and with the multi-storey pagoda balanced precariously on the side, it is an impressive sight.


In other words, you can easily spend three to five days in Hoi An and, as you'll see in my next post, there are enough restaurants to keep your tastebuds tantalised for much longer than that. The town does have a bit of a contrived, 'Disneyland' feel to it (much more so than Saigon and Hué); for instance, they pipe music through speakers throughout the Old Town and the repertoire includes Andrew Lloyd Webber, Madonna and The Beatles. 

Another thing that struck me was the way everyone under the age of 30 carries a selfie stick. Many of the teens — especially couples — film themselves as they walk down the street, stopping every few feet to pose for another selfie. Selfies and selfie sticks are, of course, everywhere but I've never seen this saturation before.